COSTA RICA-IN-VITRO Costa Rican president signs decree to legalize in-vitro fertilization

Record ID: 139982

  • Title: COSTA RICA-IN-VITRO Costa Rican president signs decree to legalize in-vitro fertilization
  • Date: 11th September 2015
  • Summary: SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA (SEPTEMBER 10, 2015) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH DOWNTOWN STREETS EXTERIOR OF THE COSTA RICAN NATIONAL THEATRE MORE OF PEOPLE IN THE STREET EXTERIOR OF THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE COSTA RICAN STATE LAWYER, MARVIN CARVAJAL, ARRIVING TO NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) COSTA RICAN STATE LAWYER, MARVIN CARVAJAL, SAYING: "Proceedings to create this type of legal norm are considered complete, which complies with the ruling given by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights almost three years ago and at the same time guarantees the fundamental rights of those people who suffer from a disability of infertility can now access a technique that is considered enormously significant, enormously useful, in cases in which other medical procedures are not effective." VARIOUS OF LAWYER WHO ARGUED AGAINST THE COSTA RICAN STATE, HUBERT MAY, LOOKING OVER DOCUMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LAWYER WHO ARGUED AGAINST THE COSTA RICAN STATE, HUBERT MAY, SAYING: "It is a decree that intends to put into practice (the use of) IVF (in-vitro fertilization), that (says) IVF can be an instrument to reach the human right of having a family, to be able to create a family, to have children and this can be decided in an autonomous manner. In accordance with article 30 of the American Convention on Human Rights, countries can adopt any kind of measure to meet the human rights and to comply with the rulings (of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights) so that it is entirely legitimate from the standpoint of international law." PEOPLE IN DOWNTOWN WOMAN WHO TRAVELLED SPAIN TO UNDERGO IN VITRO FERTILIZATION BECAUSE IT WAS ILLEGAL IN COSTA RICA, ANDREA BIANCHI (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) WOMAN WHO TRAVELLED SPAIN TO UNDERGO IN VITRO FERTILIZATION BECAUSE IT WAS ILLEGAL IN COSTA RICA, ANDREA BIANCHI, SAYING: "Finally people will have the opportunity to do everything they want with their lives. They can go back to making a plan. They can move forward with what is easy for so many people and it is achievable and is possible." VARIOUS OF THE EXTERIOR OF THE HOSPITAL MEXICO WHICH HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST MATERNITY WARDS IN COSTA RICA
  • Embargoed: 26th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Costa Rica
  • Country: Costa Rica
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAES0KSOR554O31GAFQ6SM3FOR2
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis on Thursday (September 10) signed a decree that opens the way for women seeking pregnancy to legally undergo in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
    The order looks to bring the Central American country into accordance with a 2012 ruling by the Inter-American Court on Human Rights that ruled Costa Rica's 2000 ban on the procedure was a human rights violation.
    Costa Rican state lawyer Marvin Carvajal said the presidential decree means the country is fulfilling the courts order.
    "Proceedings to create this type of legal norm are considered complete, which complies with the ruling given by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights almost three years ago and at the same time guarantees the fundamental rights of those people who suffer from a disability of infertility can now access a technique that is considered enormously significant, enormously useful, in cases in which other medical procedures are not effective," said Carvajal.
    A lawyer opposed to the decree, Hubert May, criticized the government for its sweeping decision saying there were other ways the state could have met the court's order.
    "It is a decree that intends to put into practice (the use of) IVF (in-vitro fertilization), that (says) IVF can be an instrument to reach the human right of having a family, to be able to create a family, to have children and this can be decided in an autonomous manner. In accordance with article 30 of the American Convention on Human Rights, countries can adopt any kind of measure to meet the human rights and to comply with the rulings (of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights) so that it is entirely legitimate from the standpoint of international law," May said.
    A woman who conceived twins after travelling to Spain to undergo the procedure while it was outlawed in Costa Rica, Andrea Bianchi, told Reuters the announcement meant people wanting the procedure will now be able to plan accordingly.
    "Finally people will have the opportunity to do everything they want with their lives. They can go back to making a plan. They can move forward with what is easy for so many people and it is achievable and is possible," Bianchi said.
    Costa Rica had outlawed the fertility procedure in 2000 due to pressure from the Roman Catholic Church which opposes in-vitro fertilization, saying it divorces marital sex from procreation and could result in the destruction of fertilized embryos.
    The procedure involves fertilizing an egg with sperm outside of the woman's body, culturing it for several days before implanting the zygote (fertilized egg) into the uterus.
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